Warm Water (One Shot)
by BlueAries03
Summary: Clarissa Fray doesn't like to associate herself with people outside her friend circle. It always leads up to someone getting hurt. When Jace Wayland bumps into her on a bustling New York sidewalk, their fates change forever.


**Hey guys, i've just kind of been in the mood to write a bunch of one shots and I don't really know why. I hope you guys like this one as much as I do. If you can, please review and tell me if you have any other one shot ideas for the future.**

Jace Wayland had somewhere to be. And he didn't know why he had chosen Madison Square and Broadway as a means of transportation. This meeting was crucial. So crucial that if he was even a minute late, it could put his whole career in jeopardy. He had to weave his way through a large crowd of angry, loud New Yorkers to even make it to the next light.

This made his movements even more erratic and frantic. He could feel the time slipping away and moved faster. The summer humidity was making him sweat under his Armani suit. He could already picture the sweat stains that were no doubt under his armpits. Self-consciously, he tucked his arms close to his sides and continued walking.

It was until he heard a small oof that he broke from his train of thought. He looked down to the most dazzling redhead he'd ever seen. And he'd been with a lot of women in his day. _Stop it, Jace, there's no need to be in this frame of mind_, he thought. _I need to get to this meeting_. He saw her sparkling emerald eyes narrow and her rosy lips form words, but he couldn't hear what she was saying.

"I said, watch where you're freaking going, asshat," she growled. Standing to her full height, he noticed just how small she was. She wiped her hands on her jeans and gave him the stink eye. _Asshat, he'd never heard of one of those before, _he almost grinned but stopped himself. He wasn't going to get caught up by little redhead, even if she was pretty.

Jace could only mumble a sorry, and he made his way to the skyscraper looming darkly over his golden head. He gulped loudly and stepped inside. The A.C. inside a welcome relief from the humidity outside. He pressed the button for the elevator and tentatively inside. Taking a deep breath, the blond put on his best "fuckboy" face and stepped out when the doors opened.

_~.o.0.o.~_

Luckily, he wasn't in too much trouble, and the meeting went by without a hitch, save the withering glare from his manager Camille Belcourt. But, he knew that she was always uptight and she did that to everyone.

Crossing through the spinning doors, he was blasted with the humidity that he'd naively forgotten about. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he headed to his favorite Chinese place, The Jade Wolf, to clear his mind. The owner knew him, and he always got a discount whenever he went.

Just as he was crossing Fifth and 23, he saw the same redhead from before. Except now, she had a pair of rather large headphones smushed onto her ears. He noticed that her head was bobbing up and down to the music she was listening to and he smiled softly. But all of this was forgotten when he saw her approach the crosswalk that was bustling with cars.

He silently prayed that she would notice the vehicles whizzing past, but sadly she didn't. Quick as a flash, Jace darted forward and grabbed her by one of her small wrists before she would become a pancake. He pulled her with such enthusiasm that she fell back and into his arms. Looking up at him, he noticed that there were small flecks of darker green in her eyes.

Before she could open her mouth in protest, an onlooker cried out, "Hey, when's the wedding?" This made Red blush furiously, somehow she was able to hear that but not the cars in the crosswalk. Shaking his head, Jace placed her back on her feet. Pulling out her headphones, he was able to hear that she was listening to Led Zeppelin, one of his favorite bands.

"Thanks," she said, while seeming very interested in a piece of gum on the sidewalk. Her shuffling feet betraying she was upset for having to apologize to him.

"It's no biggie, really," he replied nonchalantly. In actuality, it was a big deal. His neighbor and long-time friend Jordan had gotten hit at this very crosswalk and killed upon impact. When he saw her, all he could do was react.

She looked up at him with her hands in her pockets with an unreadable expression, "Well, I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to owe people anything, so how can I make it up to you?"

"How about I take you on a date with me to The Jade Wolf, no strings attached. If you don't enjoy it, you don't have to talk to me ever again," he stuck out a large hand and shook her much smaller one.

"Deal."

At the restaurant, he learned that her name was Clary Fray and that she was an artist. She had a friend named Simon and that they'd gone to the same high school together and graduated in the same year. He also learned that they shared a mutual friend in Isabelle Lightwood and was surprised that they hadn't met sooner. Clary agreed.

_Clary POV_

She didn't realize just how much she liked about Jace. When he had first bumped into her, she thought he was an asshole and told him so. She felt that she'd never see him again and continued with her day. But, when he saved her at the crosswalk, she saw him in a different light. She saw the relationship he had the restaurant's owner and gathered that he was a very kind and compassionate person, and used an outer shell of indifference to hide it from strangers.

When she learned that his friend Jordan had died during a hit and run at that very crosswalk, she almost choked on her miso soup. She had a feeling that she and Jace were going to be seeing a lot more of each other in the coming weeks, that was for sure.

**Thanks for reading and hope you all enjoyed. Remember to stay tuned whenever I decide to update Sweets, and as always, love you all. **

**-your fav potato, BlueAries03 **


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